PLOS ONE: Fluid-Flow Induced Wall Shear Stress and Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Peritoneal Spreading

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Introduction

Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths among women, and has the highest fatality-to-case ratio of all gynecologic malignancies. The development of EOC begins at the surface epithelium and is followed by aggressive proliferation of EOC cells into the ovary. Metastases of EOC are formed early in the disease process by spreading of EOC cells mainly in the peritoneal cavity. The ovarian surface is continuously exposed to peritoneal fluid pressures and shear forces due to the bowel peristaltic motions. This mechanical micro-environment was hypothesized to be a prominent factor controlling the patterns of tumor spreading [1], [2]......